Souls Harbour Rescue Mission has been providing support to Nova Scotians in need for over a decade, beginning with their grassroots location in Halifax. Nearly 15 years later, the operation has grown to include eight locations across the province. As a non-profit organization, Souls Harbour supports various local families, as well as seniors, from neighbouring affordable housing blocks who experience food insecurity, homelessness, poverty, abuse, and/or substance use.
We spoke with Cherry Laxton, Chief Operations Officer, about their journey partnering with Nova Scotia Power, LMMW Group, and Efficiency Nova Scotia to upgrade their various locations. By working together, the goal was to help Souls Harbour run their properties more efficiently, reduce their carbon footprint, and cut operating costs, while providing the most comfortable, secure locations for guests, volunteers, and staff.
Cherry is responsible for making sure their properties are running as efficiently and as effectively as possible. Where the organization relies on donations from generous community members across Nova Scotia, Souls Harbour engaged the help of local business LMMW and Nova Scotia Power to help tackle this project.
The project started with LMMW performing an energy and facility condition assessments to provide an overview based on each unique property's needs. LMMW worked with Souls Harbour to provide a list of upgrades and suggestions based on what was most pressing, which included partnerships with Nova Scotia Power on upgrading the heating systems in their properties. Souls Harbour was able to make the change from oil to a fully ducted heat pump system to provide comfort and cost savings by harnessing rebates available through Efficiency Nova Scotia.
For multi-purpose spaces—like their King Street location that also installed mini split heat pumps—these upgrades offer a controlled space at any time of year. “It provides our guests with the option to come in and feel comfortable in a space where they can hang out and just feel like it's more like home,” says Cherry.
“It's imperative that we take every dollar that gets donated and use it the best we can to provide the most services that we can,” Cherry explains. “Working with Nova Scotia Power and LMMW has allowed us to take buildings that were not as efficient as they could be and do upgrades so that we can make sure that our guests are served in the best possible way.”
Souls Harbour was able to take advantage of the rebates available through Efficiency Nova Scotia, which was realized through their work with Nova Scotia Power and LMMW.
“While switching to electric heating meant our electricity bill increased, we experienced overall savings on our operating costs from no longer having to use oil—and that enabled us to reinvest those funds back into services for the community.”
Cherry adds, “It allowed us to create programming for men who are now going to be able to re-enter into the community with safe, secure housing."
Facing rising operating costs, Cherry knew Souls Harbour would need to invest in building upgrades, a process that can seem daunting at first. “I really didn't know where to start either,” she shares. “I reached out, I asked questions, and I was certainly supported through that process."
LMMW leverages its depth of expertise and local subtrade partners to help organizations identify opportunities to improve energy efficiency, implement energy and facility upgrades, and provide ongoing maintenance support. “We tend to scale the level of work required depending on the site,” says Chad Wiesner, a founding partner of LMMW. “We strongly believe in taking a long-term collaborative approach with our clients; we’re not there for the short-term sale. We want to be a partner in the long-term, so it’s on us to do a good job."
Souls Harbour is supported by generous Nova Scotians and currently has over 2,100 active volunteers, without whom the depth of services could not be provided. If you would like to donate or volunteer your time at one of their locations, you can learn more here >
For tailored energy advice for your industry or to connect with a member of the Nova Scotia Power team, visit here >
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